CRITICAL READING

AS RESONING
argument, or piece of writing - claiming that it is
somehow faulty or flawed. Critical reading means
engaging in what you read by asking yourself
questions such as, ‘what is the author trying to
say?’ or ‘what is the main argument being
presented?’ It involves presenting a reasoned
argument that evaluates and analyzes what you
have read. Being critical, therefore - in an academic
sense - means advancing your understanding, not
dismissing, and therefore closing off learning. To
read critically is to exercise your judgment about
what you are reading – that is not taking anything
you read at face value. When reading academic
material, you will be faced with the author’s
interpretation and opinion. Different authors will,
naturally, have different slants. You should always
examine what you are reading critically and look for
limitations, omissions, inconsistencies, oversights,
and arguments against what you are reading.
read?
A. It shows all the inconsistencies in the
text.
B. It is claiming a text that is faulty or
flawed.
C. It involves an in-depth examination of the
text.
D. It intends to give negative comments to
the writer.
2. What is critical reading?
A. It is merely just a reading technique.
B. It is a reading technique also known as
skimming.
C. Reader read with critical attention to
comment and make necessary changes to the
text.
D. Reader applies certain processes, models,
questions, and theories that result in enhanced
comprehension.
3. What does an author’s opinion mean?
A. Statements that can be proven true.
B. Statements that can be verified objectively.
C. Statements that can be true but cannot be
verified.
D. Statements that are based on facts and can be
validated
4. Which of the following sentences from the text is
an example of a biased statement?
A. Advancing your understanding
B. Examine what you are reading critically.
C. Claiming that it is somehow faulty or flawed.
D. Not dismissing and therefore closing off
learning.
5. Which skill is NOT included in a good critical
reader?
A. Exercises good judgment
B. Examines the whole text
C. Reads the text at face value
D. Presents reasoned arguments
CRITICAL READING AS ASSERTION
To assert is to state with force. So if
someone makes an assertion, they’re not
just trying out an idea — they really mean
it

- An assertion can also be an act that

seems to make a statement without
words.

Ex: When your dog urinates in multiple

places up and down your block, he's
making an assertion of his dominance
(also called "marking") over his
 Identifying Assertions
Assertions are declarative sentences that
claim something is true about something else.
Simply put, it is a sentence that is either true or false.
Read the following examples:
The sampaguita’s rootsare used for medical purposes, such as
an aesthetic and a sedative.
The sampaguita belongs to the genus Jasminum of the family
Oleaceace.
The popularity of sampaguita flowers is most evident in
places of worship.
Sampaguitas are the most beautiful and most fragrant of all
flowers.
Four common types of assertion:
1.FACT
–It is a statement that can be proven objectively by direct experience
testimonies of witnesses, verified observations,
or the results of research.
- Information used as evidence or as part of a repor
or news article
Example: The sky is clear; it is sunny outside.
Tomorrow is the 5th of May.
PROVEN FACTS - These are facts which are proved
and accepted as true by everyone
PROBABLE FACTS- facts include statements by
people who are in a position to know the truth and
who have no obvious reason to tell a lie
2.CONVENTION
It is a way in which something is done, similar to traditions and
norms. Conventions depend on historical precedent,
laws, rules, usage, and customs. Thus, their truthfulness is verifi
ed by how commonly held definitions and
beliefs are interpreted.
- They can be verified only by reference to
historical
precedent, custom, common usage.
-One goes to dictionaries and reference works
to verify
conventional statements.

EXAMPLE:
1. The rose belongs to the genus Rosa of the
family
Rosaceous.
2. Modern humans originated in Africa within the past 200,000
years and evolved from their most likely recent common
ancestor, Homo erectus.
3.OPINION
– It is based on facts, but is difficult to objectively
verify because of the uncertainty of producing
satisfactory proofs of soundness.
- An opinion is a conclusion reached by
someone after looking at the facts. Opinions
are based on what people believe to be
facts.
Although an opinion can be any statement of
what a person believes to be true (as
distinct from a proven fact), for journalists
there are three main categories of opinions:
a. Verifiable opinion
These are conclusions which can be verified
(shown to be true) or shown to be false.
People who predict the results of horse
races draw conclusions from what they
know about horses and racing.
b. Expert opinion
Experts can give their opinion on an issue,
based on their special knowledge of the
facts. A pathologist gives an expert opinion
when she tells an inquest that she believes a
person was killed before being thrown in a
river.
Personal opinions which are
based on beliefs or values which
a person already has are called
value judgments.
These are opinions of what is
good or bad and advice on what
other people should do about
something. 4.Preference

4. PREFERENCE
It is based on personal choice; theref
ore, they are subjective and cannot b
e objectively proven or
logically attacked.
In writing believable assertions, you must need
to take note of the following
tips:
1. Be knowledgeable. To make the reader believe
in what you are trying to stand up for, examine
the topic thoroughly. Explore both sides of the
topic, research as much information as you can.

2. Back it all up. To make your assertion stable

and solid, it must have strong foundations in the
form of research findings. Be careful and leave
out any irrelevant evidence referenced in the text
to avoid confusion for the readers.

3. Be clear and concise. Get straight to the facts.

Let them know what you want them to know and
present them complete with supporting details to
your claim/s.
IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF ASSERTION
Formulating Counterclaims
To be an effective
Counterclaims critical
are claims thinker
made it aisprevious
to rebut not enough
claim.
just to be able to identify claims and assertions.
The ability to analyze an
argument is essential to understanding the text more
deeply, but understanding the claim is not the
only facet of the argument. You
must also learn how to analyze the counterclaims
and evidence provided by the text .Being able to
recognize and formulate counterclaims in reaction
to an argument is a characteristic of a good critical reader.
COUNTERCLAIMS
They provide a contrasting perspective
to the main argument.
By being able to locate and provide
counterclaim
to an argument, you show a deep competence
and familiarity with the
writer’s topic. It shows that you are examining
different perspectives and not just passively
accepting the writer’s claim.
 Determining Textual Evidence
Evidence is defined as the details given by the author to
support his/her claim. The evidence provided by the
Writer
substantiates the text. It reveals and builds on the positi
on of the writer and makes the reading more interesting
.
Evidence is crucial
in swaying the reader to your side. A jury or judge, for ex
ample, relies on evidence presented by a
lawyer before it makes a decision regarding a case.
Evidence can include the following:

Facts and statistics (objectively validate

d information on your subject);
Opinion from experts (leading authoriti
es on a topic, such as researchers or ac
ademics); and
Personal anecdotes (generalizable,
relevant, and objectively considered).
The following are some questions to help you
determine evidence from the text:

What questions can you ask about the claims?

Which details in the text answer your questions?
What are the most important details in the paragraph?
What is each one’s relationship to the claim?
How does the given detail reinforce the claim?
What details do you find interesting? Why?
What are some claims that do not seem to have support? W
hat kinds of support could they be provided with?
What are some details that you find questionable? Why do y
ou think so?
Are some details outdated, inaccurate, exaggerated, or taken
out of context?
 What Is the Difference between Persuasive
Writing
and Writing an Argument?
Persuasive - In a persuasive essay, you can select the most
favorable evidence, appeal to emotions, and use style to persuade
your readers. Your single purpose is to be convincing . The same
might be said of propaganda and advertising.

Argument, on the other hand, is mainly about logical appeals and

involves claims, evidence, warrants, backing, and rebuttals,
Argument is at the heart of critical thinking and academic discourse;
it is the kind of writing students need to know for success in college
and in life—the kind of writing that the Common Core State
Standards puts first.

Kinneavy and Warriner

How can argument writing support
the use of T3C’s?

1. TOPIC Sentence (debatable claim)

2. Concrete evidence (x3)

statistics
data
experimental results
textual evidence

3. Commentary Unit of Justification

Reasoning
 #1
The Claim or Thesis
Statement
…is the most important sentence in your paper

…is an assertion

…answers the question: “What am I trying to prove?”

...brings focus to the entire essay

…lets the reader know the main idea of the paper

…is not a factual statement or an announcement of purpose, but a

claim that has to be proven throughout the paper.
Is this a Claim?

What some people refer to as

global warming is actually nothing
more than normal, long-term cycles
of climate change.
Is this a Claim?
A STUDENT READ “DREAMS” AND “DREAM
DEFERRED” BY LANGSTON HUGHES, AND HE
GENERATED THIS THESIS.

Langston Hughes uses metaphors to

illustrate how having to postpone one’s
wishes or desires can lead to destruction.
Is this a Claim?

The adverse affects of using

alcohol and tobacco accounts for a
disproportionately large fraction of
Medicare costs, and therefore need
to be taxed more heavily.
 REVIEW
#1
The Claim or Thesis
Statement
…is the most important sentence in your paper

…is an assertion

…answers the question: “What am I trying to prove?”

...brings focus to the entire essay

…lets the reader know the main idea of the paper

…is not a factual statement or an announcement of purpose, but a

claim that has to be proven throughout the paper.
#2 Concrete evidence from Reading…

Strong Evidence should be:

Unified
Specific
Accurate
Adequate
Relevant
Representative

From a source…..
 Appropriate Evidence
Current events (local, municipal, state, national, global)
Historical events
Literature (and other academic texts)
Analogies and hypotheticals
Personal anecdotes (if appropriate to the prompt)
#3 Commentary
The why (justification) of the
data you used in your claims…
making relevant in-depth
understanding of text
#4 Conclusion
-Have I ended the discussion of the logical argument?

-Have I restated my claim

-Have a summarized the main points of the argument?

A Miner would be a Mascots should be Our area has mining as
Claim Evidence Explanation
Creating an Argument
good mascot selection strong or tough and one of its primary
for our school. represent the area. industries, so the choice
They should be would represent our
something people area. In addition,
would be proud to be. miners need to be
tough because they do
strenuous work—and
dangerous work. They
work hard to fill a need
for people everywhere.
That’s something to be
proud of.
Let’s practice with content specific reading
focusing on Claims, Evidence and Argument
Let’s Practice T3Cs for
Argument
Should the government implement a tax on junk food?
Resources:
Adult Obesity Facts
Would junk food taxes really make people eat better?
Poll: Most Oppose Tax on Junk Food
• Use the resources to write a claim and support it with evidence
and reasoning using the T3C model for argument.
• Closely read and annotate the following texts to make your
argument.

Claim/Assertion:

1. Facebook is a nest for narcissists.

2. OFW’s are unsung heroes.
3. Ferdinand Marcos is not a hero.
4. Happiness is best when shared.
5. It is always more fun in the Philippines.
Assertion is a stylistic approach or technique involving a
strong declaration , a forceful or confident statement regarding
a belief or a fact. Often, it is without proof or any support or
evidence. Its purpose is to express ideas or feelings directly.
TYPES OF ASSERTION

1. Basic Assertion
This is a simple straightforward statement for expressing
feelings, opinions and belief such as
- I wish I could have expressed this idea earlier, because
someone else has taken credit.
- Excuse me, first I want to finish my work then I shall go
with you.
2. Emphatic assertion
This conveys sympathy to someone and usually has two
parts. First it encompasses the recognition of the feelings
or situations and the second follows a statement that
shows support for the other person ‘s rights such as
- I understand you are busy, and me too, but it is difficult
for me to finish this project on my own. So I want you to
help me in completing this project
- I know this is making you angry and frustrated because
you could not get a response yet, but I can help you by
giving you an estimate of how long it might take.
3. Escalating Assertion
◦ It occurs when someone is not able to give a response
to basic assertions of a person and therefore, that
person becomes firm about him or her such as:
- If you do not finish this work at 6:00 tonight, I would
better take the services of another worker.
- I really want to finish this point before you start yours.
4. Language assertion
This involves “I” language and is useful for expressing
negative feelings. Nevertheless, it constructively lays
emphasis on a person’s feelings of anger such as
- When you speak harshly, I cannot work with you
because I feel annoyed. Therefore, I want you to speak
gently and then assign me a task.
- When I cannot take proper sleep, it affects my nerves
and I feel irritated. Therefore, I like to go to bed earlier.
From William Shakespeare’s Othello:

Desdemona: I never did

Offend you in my life, never loved Cassio
But with such general warranty of heaven
As I might love, I never gave him token.

In these lines, Desdemona makes a dying assertion that she is innocent,

denying Othello’s accusations. However, blinded by emotion, furious
Othello is resolved to kill her.